“Master Duotuo, please don’t be hasty. The Red-Dress Holy Land will certainly honor its promises.”
“But today’s bet is extremely important to us.”
“We’ll have to trouble Master Duotuo to ensure victory in this match.”
“However, per the agreement, the format of the spirit formation contest will be decided by them, so it might put Master Duotuo at a slight disadvantage,” said the leader of the Red-Dress Holy Land.
“No need to worry, Leader of the Red-Dress Holy Land.”
“Your disciple and my disciple are about to be joined in marriage.”
“I, Zhang Duotuo, am practically part of the Red-Dress Holy Land now.”
“For family matters, I’ll give my all.”
“Besides, I’ve long heard of this so-called Secret Cave Group Saints. They’re just a bunch of notorious frauds. I’ve been wanting to teach them a lesson, and today’s the perfect opportunity.”
As Zhang Duotuo spoke, he glanced into the distance, a mocking smirk on his lips:
“It’s already noon. Why haven’t these Secret Cave Group Saints shown up?”
“Could it be they heard I, Zhang Duotuo, am here and got cold feet?”
“Jie jie jie…”
“Who’s spouting nonsense here?”
But just as Zhang Duotuo finished speaking, a mocking laugh rang out.
Immediately after, several elders of the Red-Dress Holy Land appeared from afar.
Behind them followed eleven figures.
These eleven were the ones betting against the Red-Dress Holy Land—the so-called Secret Cave Group Saints.
“It’s them?”
Chu Feng’s eyes flickered upon seeing the Secret Cave Group Saints.
He recognized them—they were the eleven spiritists who had cheated their way into the Spirit Mansion previously.
Chu Feng never imagined that the ones betting against the Red-Dress Holy Land would be these people.
Nor did he expect they had another name: the Secret Cave Group Saints.
And it seemed they had some reputation in the Reincarnation Upper Realm.
“Leader of the Red-Dress Holy Land, is this mediocre spiritist the helper you’ve brought?”
“Are you so eager to hand over your Red-Dress Holy Land’s treasured artifact to us?”
The Secret Cave Group Saints landed at the center of the plaza.
All eleven still wore their distinctive spiritist robes, concealing their cultivation and faces completely.
And, as before, their tongues were sharp.
The moment they appeared, they began mocking Zhang Duotuo and the Red-Dress Holy Land.
Notably, all of them were now Serpent-Mark Saint-Cloak Spiritists.
This meant the Insect-Mark Saint-Cloak Spiritist who had clashed with Chu Feng before had broken through.
To achieve a breakthrough in such a short time surprised Chu Feng.
“Secret Cave Group Saints, did you bring the Yin-Yang Soul-Locking Rope?” the leader of the Red-Dress Holy Land asked.
“Here it is.”
One of the Secret Cave Group Saints spoke.
From his voice, Chu Feng recognized him as the one who had tried to steal the Spirit Jade from him in the Spirit Mansion, only to be outwitted.
In his hand was a box.
The box was exquisite, clearly a treasure in itself.
As he opened it, light burst forth.
Through the radiance, a rope was visible inside.
The rope, only as thick as a finger and a meter long, was red, seemingly woven from hemp, with twelve bells neatly attached.
The dazzling light came from the box, not the rope.
At first glance, the rope seemed ordinary.
But closer inspection revealed it held a peculiar power.
It wasn’t simple martial power but something unique, seemingly tied to life and souls.
“Yin-Yang Soul-Locking Rope?”
“What’s its purpose?”
Chu Feng studied the rope, brimming with curiosity.
He couldn’t discern its exact function.
But since it was the Red-Dress Holy Land’s target, it must be extraordinary.
“Leader of the Red-Dress Holy Land, where’s your item?” the Secret Cave Group Saint asked, closing and stowing the box.
At his words, the leader’s wrist flicked, and a box appeared in her palm.
Opening it revealed a red pearl the size of a fist.
The pearl seemed to contain an entire world.
Within that world was a chaotic expanse, holding only one force—spirit formation power, vast and overwhelming.
The spirit formation power was like an endless, turbulent ocean, its quantity immeasurable.
Yet it was incredibly potent and ferocious, a highly destructive force.
If released, it could wreak havoc, offering no benefit to spiritists and potentially causing catastrophic destruction.
But sealed within the pearl, it reacted differently.
That spirit formation power could aid martial cultivators.
Chu Feng’s instincts were sharp. Though the pearl contained immense, wild spirit formation power, it emitted a rich, gentle aura of natural energy.
This was due to the pearl itself—a formidable array from ancient times.
Chu Feng couldn’t tell what level of spiritist had created it, but transforming spirit formation power into something beneficial for martial cultivators was a feat beyond his imagination, let alone his ability.
Undoubtedly, it was an extremely precious treasure.
When the pearl was revealed, all eyes fixed on it.
The Secret Cave Group Saints’ gazes turned greedy.
The Red-Dress Holy Land elders’ eyes filled with tension, worry, and reluctance.
The reason was clear.
Beyond the treasure’s value, the term “sect-guarding treasure” spoke to its significance.
Now Chu Feng understood why the leader was willing to sacrifice Yin Zhuanghong’s happiness to secure Zhang Duotuo’s help.
This bet was indeed a massive gamble.
“Leader of the Red-Dress Holy Land, you’d better keep your word. If you lose, no backing out,” one of the Secret Cave Group Saints said.
“Rest assured, I, Han Xiu, never go back on my word,” the leader replied.
“In that case, let’s begin. Come on, trash, let me see what you’ve got,” the same Saint said, beckoning to Zhang Duotuo.
His gesture was infuriating, less like summoning a person and more like calling a dog, paired with a blatant insult.
From his voice, Chu Feng recognized him as the one who had tried to rob him of the Spirit Jade and been tricked.
